Gaming machines such as slot machines, automatic poker, or blackjack machines are commonly found in gambling casinos. The available floor space within the casino obviously dictates the number of gaming machines which may be placed in the casino. Casinos are often found in commercial or business districts where floor space is valued at a premium price. Furthermore, because of fire and safety regulations which require certain minimum aisle space through casinos, such regulations also limit the number of gaming machines which may be placed within a specified floor area. Although casino managers have become quite adept in arranging gaming machines to optimize the use of available floor space, one major limiting factor which determines the number of gaming machines that can be placed in a specified floor area is the individual size of each of the gaming machines. Another limiting factor is how close a player can comfortably sit to a gaming machine. Increasing the number of gaming machines in a casino results directly in additional game playing which, in turn, results directly in higher revenues for the gaming establishment.
For most gaming machines, such as slot machines, a lever or handle disposed on a side thereof requires a player to not only have space to view the gaming machine, but to also have space to the side of the machine in order to operate the lever to activate the machine. Accordingly, there must be a minimum spacing between gaming machines positioned side by side in order to allow the player to grasp the lever. Furthermore, as discussed above with respect to fire and safety regulations, there must be minimum spacing between rows of machines.
One factor which in the past has determined the size of each individual gaming machine is the arrangement of the component elements making up the particular machine. In prior art gaming machines, the circuitry, power supply and other related mechanical and electrical elements are co-located near the base of the gaming machine. Disposed thereabove at approximately chest level of the player is the gaming display, such as the rotatable reel displays in a slot machine. More specifically, the display on a slot machine is an annular row of symbols attached over a plurality of rotatable reels. The particular arrangement of the symbols in resulting transverse rows after the rotatable wheels have ceased turning determines whether the player has won. The arrangement of the electrical and mechanical elements concentrated near the base of the gaming machines has resulted in the cabinet housing the gaming machine being undesirably large.
Typically, multiple gaming machines are placed back-to-back and in a plurality of adjacent rows. Alternatively, the machines are arranged in a circular manner creating a gaming "island." Because of the size of the prior art gaming machines, wasted floor space is magnified when such gaming machines are placed in the "island" configurations or in the plurality of adjacent rows.
One example of a prior art gaming machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 307,771 to Cesaroni, et al. This reference exemplifies typical prior art machines which lack individual compact size and the capability to be placed in a compact multiple configuration thus resulting in wasted floor space.
Another example of a prior art gaming machine is found in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 284,592 to Drews, et al. This reference illustrates a back-to-back arrangement of two gaming machines, which, like the Cesaroni reference, lacks certain characteristics which can thereby minimize the size of a multiple machine configuration. While the foregoing inventions may be suitable for their intended purposes, the invention disclosed herein provides distinct advantages as set forth below.